


A Bouquet and a Vow

by KubricksCube



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Confused Jaime is trying to test his skill on gardening, F/M, Fluff, Gardening, Modern AU, Some BrAime y'all, also Tormund the Hype Man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27557668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KubricksCube/pseuds/KubricksCube
Summary: Brienne leaves to meet with Sansa for a week. Jaime is left alone to care for their garden.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	1. ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ-ᴍᴇ-ɴᴏᴛs, ʙᴇʟʟғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs, ʜɪʙɪsᴄᴜsᴇs, ʟɪʟᴀᴄs, ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴛᴜsᴇs

* * *

**Day 1**

“You sure you could care for the plants while I’m away?” Brienne asked her lover, Jaime, as she watched him nervously look at the mentioned plants. “You sure Sansa needs you for a full week?” was his response, not taking his gaze away, Brienne sighed, “She only needs me for a couple of days, but I owe a lot to her, especially to her mother. It’s the only thing that I could do to repay the Starks back.”

“Fine. Just…” he then met her eyes and held her hand, “Be back quick, okay?” Brienne nodded. With a mutual agreement finally established, Jaime reached for her lips, only to be interrupted by a sound emitted by Brienne’s phone. “It’s Sansa.” Defeated, Jaime then carried Brienne’s bag to her car, gave each other a long, tight hug and sealed it with a kiss.

While watching his lover drive away from their home, Jaime wondered how the hell would he be able to keep the plants, Brienne’s plants, alive while she’s away or will it make him beg for her to come back immediately?

As he made his way to their garden, it occurred to Jaime that Brienne’s love for these plants were somehow surreal. Combinations of blues, violets, surrounded their garden, minus the trees that he and Brienne cared for for the last five years.

Standing to where the pots are, Jaime carefully inspected the first row of flowers in front of him. _These ones only need to be watered every 5 days_ , he recalled Brienne say on the succulents. He then turned his attention to the blue and violet ones. _Forget-me-nots can be placed on shade or under the sun._ _When you water them make sure the soil doesn’t get soggy. Bellflowers are somehow the same, they do full well on sun or part shade. Make sure the soil’s well-drained as well._

Jaime moved towards the Hibiscus, caressing it’s red petals. _Now this girl needs to be watered every other day, although you have to make sure that it’s soil is dry before doing that._ A bush of lilacs caught his eyes just outside the glass house, _this bunch here is kind of easy to care for. I already pruned them for you, so just watch out if they need water._

Water. In an instinct, he then moved to the lotus in the garden’s pond. _Well, I’ve already fertilized them, they just need a lot of sun. It’s those in the pot that you need to look out for. Oh, and don’t forget to talk to all of them._ When he asked why, he remembered Brienne smiling at him, “They like to be talked to, or if you’re comfortable, sing to them.”

Shaking his head, he started to do just as he is told to. He felt dumb, for sure, but by the way Brienne had carefully instructed the things mean he must take it seriously. “Hi there, I’m Jaime. Brienne’s currently away right now, and she chose me to care for you all beautiful plants.”

* * *


	2. ᴘᴇᴏɴɪᴇs

* * *

**Day 2**

Whistling of a man echoed in the walls of the glass house. Jaime had just finished watering the plants and flowers for the day and is now doing his rounds of checking every one of them got the right amount of water that they needed.

The idea of talking to plants still bothered him, yet when he checked on them earlier in the morning he made sure to greet them all. It was Brienne’s plants after all, he’d be dead if she comes home and finds that all of her babies are now dead and dried out.

Passing by a couple of peonies, he couldn’t help but wonder, how did Brienne get into this hobby of caring for plants? Back then, Jaime didn’t think too much about it when she mentioned she wanted to convert half of their backyard into a garden. But when she proposed the idea of buying the remaining lot that stretched to the south of their house, he got curious and asked her the entire day after she told him that.

“It’s relaxing. Takes my mind off from my job for a while.” She replied, then went on to explain every meaning of the flowers and plants she grew. “They’re beautiful, you know. When you walk along the aisle and to just see their colors being shone upon by the sunlight.”

Jaime knew back then there’s no way of talking her out of her rather sudden goal, but still he supported her to it. And he was glad that he did, because the workers that the contractors that they talked to became his friends. The couple even made sure that every project that they plan involves the two men who built the glass house that contains most of Brienne’s prized possessions.

“Golden boy,” a raspy voice called out to Jaime, interrupting his trip from memory lane. A man, standing at 6’6" with scars on his left face limped his way towards Jaime, “Been calling you for at least ten minutes now, what’s gotten into you?”

“Glad you could come, Sandor.” He chuckled, cocking his head as if he’s looking for someone, “Where’s Tormund?” Sandor grumbled, then began complaining about Tormund not being true to his words and making him wait in a liquor store only to send a message that he’ll go to Jaime’s on his own.

“You know him, he’s allergic on splitting the receipt.” He tried his best to mediate, which worked as he heard Sandor laughing at his remark, “He’s a stingy bugger.”  
He was glad that Sandor quickly calmed down, recalling the last time the grey-eyed man lost his patience that he punched a guy who relentlessly pestered him about his scars.

Both men talked a little more while Jaime inspected all of the flowers. He knew Sandor isn’t one for chatting, but he did converse with him anyway. After what seems like an hour of silence, a familiar loud greeting boomed on the backyard door. In the doorway, a tall red-haired man appeared. “I’m here boys!”

* * *


	3. ʟᴀᴠᴇɴᴅᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ʜʏᴀᴄɪɴᴛʜ

* * *

**Day 3**

The buzzing of the alarm clock startled Jaime, prompting him to sit up as he stared aimlessly at the clock. 6:34 am, it read. He could feel his head throb every time he attempted to move, along with it his stomach turning whenever he tried to look at something else.

Grudgingly, he dragged himself off the bed and straight towards the bathroom, hoping that the cold shower would help lessen the effect of his hangover. Washing the sweat, Jaime caught the smell of alcohol on his skin, which almost made him puke at the very spot he’s standing on. _Damn Tormund and his alcohol tolerance_ , he said to himself, gathering his strength to finish his bath and head down to the kitchen. Slowly taking his time shampooing his hair, Jaime wondered if either lavenders or hyacinth would be fit to place indoors, before he settled for both.

After his gruelling struggle after waking up, Jaime now felt a bit much better as soon as he stepped out of the shower. The smell of bacon filled the air and within moments he found himself seated beside Sandor as Tormund helped himself around the kitchen.

All three of them were silent for a while. Jaime checks his phone from time to time, Sandor lighting a cigarette, and Tormund waiting for the coffee to be ready. It was clear to all of them that everyone has a hangover and that none is willing to start a conversation this early. Jaime was fine with that, but Tormund decided to break the ice.

He first asked how Jaime wanted the pathway to the garden to look like after. The pathway to their garden is currently a cheap wooden one, and Jaime learned that the hard way right after Brienne left. “I was thinking of replacing it with stones, less slippery when it rains and snows.”

Both Sandor and Tormund listened closely as Jaime gave details and instructions. This is also one of the reasons why he preferred to have these two as his company over the week, they know when to get down to business, serious or not.

When Tormund finally served their breakfast, that’s when they all started to interact lively. With everyone throwing in some ideas, trying to cut the cost of the materials without losing the quality of the finished product. Naturally, Jaime would’ve been okay with them using high-end materials just so they could finish it on time, but he once said to himself that he’ll try to veer away from his family’s wealth and use his own hard earned money, which resulted in Sandor calling him “Golden boy”.

The silence-induced environment now turned into a loud one. Tormund was planning on another night of drinking, but was soon shut down by Sandor as he evaded another contribution to the drinks that he bought. The red-haired just laughed at him before smacking his friend’s back to calm him down. Jaime quietly observed the two grown men bicker at each other, content that he found friends.

* * *


	4. sᴡᴇᴇᴛ ᴘᴇᴀs

* * *

**Day 4**

“Jaime!” Sandor’s deep, rough voice immediately caught Jaime’s attention, making him run from upstairs down to the garden. “Yeah?” He asked breathlessly.

“I want you to meet Podrick and Gendry,” He pointed at the two men behind him, “They’re the ones I told you about.”

Jaime inspected them. At first glance, he thought they were twins. Both men bearing the same eyes, same face structure, same color of hair and the same way of looking innocent and such. The instinct to know if they are somehow related was strong, but before he could ask Gendry spoke meekly, his gaze fixated on the ground. “We’re not siblings or anything, we just… look like a copy of each other.”

Nodding, Jaime gave way for the men to enter his house, asking in the process if they wanted something to eat. Podrick nodded while Gendry shook his head. Jaime laughed at the sight before telling them they are free to rummage through his fridge, making Podrick smile widely before Sandor told them he’d now show the project they’re about to make.

The weather was sunny that day, and Jaime found himself spending most of his time with the plants. After Sandor showed them the ropes on removing the wooden pathway, the three of them worked non-stop on removing the planks, until Tormund finally came back with the stones they’re going to place.

Jaime, on the other hand, is lost in his world as he continues to care for the flowers. While laying on his bed the other night, he took the time to research everything about them, hoping to add more knowledge aside from what Brienne told him.

He learned that Sweet Peas are a bit tricky to manage, as they don’t do well if the soil is soggy or isn’t evenly moist. Jaime asked Brienne if sweet peas and a couple of other flowers as well, is a beginner-friendly flower that he could grow, to which Brienne said yes and he immediately asked Tormund to buy seeds when he heads for the town.

And now that the seeds are here, he hastily took out his phone and searched for a tutorial on how to plant the sweet peas. In the beginning, Jaime quickly finished planting those flower seeds in the newly bought pots that he got, but a nagging thought urged him to check every one of them is properly planted or not over-watered like what he had read several times, which got to the point where he got everyone in his house involved in his problem.

“It’s fine, dimwit. Just don’t give it too much water, it’ll bloom four months from now.” Advice that came from Sandor. Given their job, Jaime wasn’t surprised that the foul-mouthed man knows a lot about gardening, though it weirded him out when he imagined both Sandor and Tormund giving advice to their clients after finishing their work.

And after what seems like an hour, all of them returned to their work, leaving Jaime talking to his new potted babies.

* * *


	5. ᴘʀɪᴍʀᴏsᴇ

* * *

**Day 5**

Thunders struck every two minutes that day, and Jaime is getting worried about the garden as the time goes by. Tormund had reassured him that Brienne knew where to place the plants that’s able to take heavy rains and that he’s got nothing to worry about. He believed them, but still, it made him fidgety when the wind picked up its strength and rain slams onto the roof.

“Look at you, all sweaty and concerned about a bunch of plants getting too wet and all that.” Tormund quipped, taking a large swig of beer from the glass, “Four years ago you told us you wouldn’t fall the same path that your lover fell in. I guess you flipped on your opinion.”

“I have not,” Jaime replied while he messaged Brienne about the weather, “I just don’t want to be responsible when not a single flower survived after the storm hit.”

“You’re falling in love with gardening,” Sandor said with a smirk.

“He is, I heard him singing a lullaby when I was searching for the extra hose clamp.”

Jaime sighed, “I didn’t pay you two to nag me about my love for them.” Both men laughed. “See? It’s not that hard to admit that you like them,” Tormund stood up and went to the fridge, “Be like me, I always say what I feel and think.”

“Like you did with Brienne? You outright told her that you like her in front of Jaime?” All of them laughed except for Tormund, who has a bashful smile on his face “I backed up, you fucker. And besides, she liked the Primrose that I gave her.”

Sandor raised his hands in defeat before raising his bottle of beer and tapped in against Tormund’s. Remembering the story made Jaime jealous of Tormund’s courage in regards to love. He recalled how he wanted to laugh at Brienne’s confused and baffled reaction when Tormund told her how beautiful she is and that he likes her.

And he knows that the red-haired man isn’t lying, yet Brienne thought otherwise. He remembered how he had to convince her to not let them go and give Tormund a chance. In the end, she agreed, and slowly warmed up to the wildling of a man as the years went by.

Anyone would expect that expressing himself would naturally come out of Jaime’s mouth, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. And when it comes to his lover, the words downright don't come out. Brienne knows about this, and she always reassures him that she knows that he loves and cares for her.

Sure, he’s glad that she understands, yet there’s still something that he couldn’t quite say to her no matter how hard he tried.

Too preoccupied in his world, Jaime did not notice the eyes that’s been staring at him for almost a minute now. All four men stared as Jaime looked everyone in the eye. “What?” He asked.

“Dude,” Tormund started, “You need to tell her how you feel, you look like you’re about to cry.”

* * *


	6. ᴅᴀғғᴏᴅɪʟ

* * *

**Day 6**

Only a day remaining and Brienne will be back from Sansa’s place in Winterfell. Even though Jaime missed her terribly, he couldn’t help but be glad that Brienne chose to spend an entire week there. It gave him enough time to think about things and bond with the inhabitants of their garden.

Jaime had told Tormund and Sandor that they could skip the project and just rest for the day, as he wanted to show Brienne and hear her thoughts about the pathway before he let them continue and finish the work. So now, all three of them are hanging out in the backyard, with Jaime checking the flowers from time to time.

“Could you quit it and just relax? You’ve been checking on those plants at least ten times now, and it’s not even an hour after we sat out here.” Sandor shouted at Jaime, who’s emerging from the glass house. “What can I say,” Jaime replied while his left arm is hugging a pot of daffodil, “I’ve really fallen in love with them.” After placing the pot beside his chair, Jaime then only sat down and opened a bottle of beer.

“You’re insufferable,” was Sandor’s only response as he shook his head, causing Tormund to laugh and shake his head as well. “Let him be, big guy. It’s what love does to people.”

Sandor snorted but did not say a word. Jaime somehow wanted to bring up the time when Sandor couldn’t concentrate on working at their glass house because he saw Sansa roaming around the house when she visited them for a couple of days. How he teased him relentlessly after the Stark girl left, the way he looked at her when she’s asking advice on how to grow plants in the middle of winter.

A smirk appeared on his lips as he fended off the urge to make Sandor remember the red-haired girl, which Tormund caught on immediately. “Is the lady bringing her friend tomorrow?” Tormund asked with a sly smile.

For a couple of seconds, Jaime thought he saw a blush creep on Sandor’s cheeks. “You buggering idiots,” he muttered under his breath. They both laughed at how Sandor would get easily flustered at the slightest mention of Sansa.

“It’s due time that you get in a relationship,” Sandor groaned at Tormund’s advice, “You’re almost forty. Don’t settle into hook-ups.”

Sandor snarled, “How about you, eh? You talk as if you’re going to go settle any day now.” But Tormund only shrugged, “Eh, I’ve got kids from my ex-wife. And besides, we’re talking again.”

“Sansa’s a sweet girl,” Jaime joined in, “And everyone, except you, saw how the way she looks at you.”

It wasn’t easy to make the scarred man talk to a woman that he fancies. Jaime thought it was at first, but the longer that he spent time with them, the more that he learned things about the two.

So, with alcohol running in his blood, Jaime stood up and announced that things will change starting tomorrow.

* * *


	7. ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀᴄᴜᴘs

* * *

**Day 7**

It’s almost afternoon and a car parked in front of Jaime and Brienne’s house. A tall blonde woman and a red-haired woman came out of the car and walked straight towards the front door. “They’re here!” Gendry announced, prompting Jaime to run at the door to greet them.

When Brienne finally stepped inside the house, she could see Jaime beam with the most sincere smile. “Welcome home,” he whispered, planting a kiss on her lips as he held her hand and introduced her and Sansa to Podrick and Gendry, both of which scurried beside Tormund after they shook her hand.

The couple and their guest then headed to the backyard, with Jaime eagerly awaiting for their reaction after showing the nearly finished pathway. “It’s amazing,” Brienne commented. The previous wooden walkway was now replaced with solid stones and gravel in between each step. Sandor then explained that they would be installing lights for the path, since the light to the glass house isn’t enough to illuminate the distance between the house and the glass house.

With a smile as a sign of approval, Jaime then led Brienne back inside the house, making Sansa stay behind and inspect the new addition to the plants that he had placed.

For Brienne, happiness was an understatement. She’s ecstatic when Jaime started to ramble about the things that he did for a week. How he danced and sang for the plants as soon as Tormund and the rest left their home, how he wanted to add more trees in their garden when they finally get the title for the land that they just bought.

But it was when Jaime knelt down and poured out all of his feelings is what got Brienne the most. Time froze for the both of them. She could tell Jaime was nervous by the way that he kept his gaze on her hands, rather than her eyes.

And when Jaime finished pouring out his heart, he waited patiently for Brienne to speak, only to be pulled up and feel her lips meet with his. He thought the idea of him proposing to her would backfire, yet it all turned out better than he expected.

A few minutes after their moment, Jaime then pointed at the scenery behind them, it was Sandor giving a bouquet of buttercups to a red-faced Sansa, which was soon followed by cheers from the three men when she accepted the bouquet. He could tell Sandor was relieved when Sansa didn’t reject him or the flowers.

The cheering of the three men only got louder when Jaime and Brienne came out to join them once more, announcing that they are now engaged to one another. Tormund then offered to drive to town and buy some liquor to celebrate their engagement, to Sandor’s joy. “If I knew me having balls to confess would make you spend some of your money, I would’ve done it sooner.” Laughs erupted from everyone, including Tormund who defended himself from his friend’s snarky remark.

At that very moment, Jaime knew he could live a life like this. Maybe spending some time in their garden isn’t so bad afterall. 

* * *


End file.
